themainframe | [3rd Transformation // Anon Text // Optional Action with Bumblebee]

[When Bumblebee first emerges from the damaged apartment of 010 in his robot form, 16 feet of towering metal and living machine, Vanguard is filled with immeasurable awe an wonder.

In an hour, when he finds himself sitting in the car form of his partner, playing session after session of video game inside his cabin, that wonder becomes joy. In three hours, when Vanguard goes to tell off some insolent digimon on Bee's behalf but Bumblebee speaks up on his own first, gently resolving the situation with his own voicebox. All he feels is confusion. Six hours later, when Vanguard has to step outside and get his feet on steady ground after one of Bumblebee's races, it's irritation. The final straw happens when Vanguard finds himself held in the giant, protective metal hand of his robot partner, narrowly injured from a reckless Chosen. Saved. Protected. Lovingly guarded.

Then... it's just anger and resentment.

He leaves Bumblebee to talk with companions just beyond the hole in their apartment (hastily covered by the staff with a sheet of plastic). Bee doesn't need Vanguard to help translate his feelings to the friends he encounters outside. He laughs, and dances and transforms just fine on his own.

So the digimon retreats to their room just a few paces away. It takes ten minutes for it all to boil over. In the back of his mind, he knows he's going to calm down and regret this later but... he's not thinking about that at the time. He angrily jabs an anonymous message into the D-terminal.]

+ [Anonymous Text] +

All you Chosen. You think you're so impressive.

You could hardly take care of yourselves when you got here. You couldn't figure out how to eat, sleep or walk. Some of you couldn't even speak. We chased off digimon three times our size to keep you alive. We kept you safe on the journey down to HospiTown.

We did everything we were supposed to. We're your digimon. We were made to meet you and fix this world together.

So much for partners.

You can take your real forms and just

Just go home. We didn't need you either.

[The moment he presses send, he experiences a moment of hesitation. Of something beyond anger. Regret? He crosses his arms and tries not to think about it.]

[ooc: Vanguard (Coronamon) will respond to text anonymously while Bumblebee will react to action outside the hospital.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's just that being this way- being back in my own body - is important to me.

I can't go back to the way I was before.

I understand.

I... I missed my frame, too. A lot. I'm sorry I told you.

It's a little more complicated than just missing my frame for me.

But at this point... I'd rather know the truth than to be surprised later.

[He shakes his head, motioning for Kagerou to get back here already. He's shrunken away just beyond what's comfortable to be speaking to him from.]

Don't be sorry.

If I asked what it was... would you tell me?

[It's mostly out of curiosity, but there's concern there, as well.]

Maybe I should have been more... delicate, then?

[But he does take a hesitant step forward, regardless.]

[More delicate? Maybe he would have reacted the same, maybe he would've reacted different. Either way the message is the same, and Kagerou needn't worry.

Bumblebee steps past Kagerou as he thinks his words through. Then he turns to him again.]

This is me. My robot form, my alt-form- they're two halves of a whole. I'm not just one or the other. I'm both. Right now, I'm everything I'm supposed to be.

And my voice...

When I'm human again, who knows if my voice is gone with it.

[He watches him, listening. It starts to make sense, and he finds himself nodding along, his arms still folded around himself.]

[It makes a lot of sense. But how does he say it without... well. Doing it wrong.]

I... understand. It's you. It's what you've always been. And it's wrong to have it taken from you. You can't... move as you should. Or change into other forms. It's just wrong.

Right?

[His head tilts.]

Can't it be fixed?

[He unconsciously brings up a hand to his upper chest.]

I don't know...

[He thinks over it for some time. And then, a change in his attitude.]

You know what, Kagerou? Maybe we're just worrying for nothing.

[He looks at him for a long moment, then away, like he's watching something ominously in the distance.]

I hope you can. It's nice. Your voice.

[Then he looks back.]

That would be nice, wouldn't it?

[He smiles a little at the comment. He misses the sound of it.

He nods to himself, solidifying his decision.] No use in missing something we haven't lost.

Come on, Kagerou. What're we doing standing around here. We should be celebrating our real selves.

Right. That's right.

[He blinks a few times, his wings flicking.]

Celebrating? How?

Whatever we want.

We can start with... [Some brainstorming.]

What's good about being back in your own boy, Kagerou?

[He tilts his head, then glances back over one shoulder.]

Flying.

... And driving. But, it's easier to fly than to drive.

[Which is when he peers at Bumblebee, his red "optic" flashing once. Wheeljack had done it... and are those wings...?]

You transform too. Don't you?

[He barely stops himself from calling Kagerou an Aerialbot.]

So you are a flyer. I figured you might be.

[He noticed those fancy wing struts on your back.]

I prefer to stick a little closer to the ground. [He'll show you his if you show him yours, buddy]

It's the alternate form I prefer... yes.

[He does duck his head a little, as if embarrassed it was so obvious -- or ashamed to be proud or ... some weird thing that got into his head.]

Are you a car? Like Wheeljack?

How about I just show you, instead?

[He'll take a few steps backward, enthused at the chance to show off his form. He may not be a flyer, but he's still proud of what he looks like all the same.

On his last step and he's no longer standing. One transformation of whirling metal and shifting parts, and an Urbana 500 will be sitting neatly on the ground, engine revving.]

All right.

[He steps back too, just in case. It seems like the polite thing to do, anyway.]

[... Those transformations sure are different than his own. Or any of the BP units. It's sort of pretty, to watch it happen.]

[The car's not bad either. Definitely not like Wheeljack's.]

It's nice. And... it looks fast.

[That's how you compliment people, right?]

[Definitely a good compliment, Kagerou.]

Oh, it is.

Kagerou, have you got a communications system?

[That way if Kagerou's a flyer, they can still comfortably talk while they cruise/fly around.]

[He nods. He'd used it with Wheeljack, earlier.]

Are you going to go driving?

[He hesitates.]

Should I come too?

Yup.

And that's the idea. You said you like flying the most, and we're out to celebrate.

[He'll send Kagerou his frequency in a moment, so they can keep in contact.]

Right.

I could drive too, if you need me to.

[But he'll transform into his flight mode -- the big robotic "bird". It's a lot less amazing than Bumblebee's.]

Come on. Let's hit the road, Kagerou.

Or the sky, in your case.

[With a rev of his engines, Bumblebee pulls onto the main road. He'll be talking with Kagerou through the comm from here on.]

Right.

[He doesn't need more encouragement. He takes off, flying low and close to the car.]

[Getting lost wouldn't be advisable.]

How's it feel to be in the air again?

[He takes a moment to answer, but when he does speak up, he can't help but sound amazed.]

... Perfect.